A Trip To Mars
by Ecoalai
Summary: My first MLP: FIM fanfic and my first self-insertion  -you have been warned!-. This story is about the "Space Race"  -yet a friendly competition-  between Equestria and Russia, bidding who can land on Mars first. Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everypony (everybody), I am Rahky and I am a male pony with green eyes, a brown mane, a tan coat a Rupee cutie mark (as my initial) and a soul patch and I am going to narrate an interesing story you've ever heard. The best place to start is the very beginning. Let's resume!

For many years the ponies, at least the people in the outside world, wanted to travel to Mars and there haven't been any landings yet rather than the successful Apollo moon landings from 1969-72. There is now the "Space Race" between Equestria and Russia (just a friendly competition). Most of the ponies of Equestria say they could beat Russia and most of the ponies of Russia say they could beat Equestria like both the United States and the Soviet Union bid who can land on the moon first but the United States is a winner. Both sides underwent lot of spaceflight training and only a few tests were failures (but fortunatley no fatalities). Despite some frustrating failures, they've tried harder and harder. The pony astronauts and pony cosmonauts from Equestria and Russia are really excited they could land on Mars. If the Russians landed on Mars first, we offer them congradulations. If we landed on Mars first, they offer us congradulations. Meanwhile, Princess Celestia was relaxing on her chair by the blazing fireplace in the lounge at her castle and her antique phone rang, and the phone call was from...The President of Russia (ponified)! "Hello, this is Princess Celestia speaking. Who's calling?" Princess Celestia answered. The Russian President responded, "Hi, Misses Celestia. This is the Russian President speaking, and I just to wanted to wish you and your pony astronauts good luck." Princess Celestia replyed "Thank you, Mister President. I wish you and your pony 'cosmonauts' good luck." "Thank you, Misses Celestia.  
>Do Svidanya (goodbye)!" said the Russian President. "Tootle-loo!" she said and they both hung up. The next day, she chose all 6 ponies (Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack), including me (number 7)!<br>Princess Celestia sent each letter to each one of us. Twilight was reading a letter, "Wow, wonderful!" she celebrated. Rainbow was reading a letter, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she said, excitedly. Pinkie was reading a letter, "OH MY GOSH! I'M IN SPAAACE!" she shouted, a reference to the over-excited yellow core in Portal 2. Fluttershy was reading a letter, and she felt unsure about her journey, wordlessly. Rarity was reading a letter, "Oh my, we're all gonna be famous!" she said to herself in pride. Applejack was reading a letter, "Holy moly!" she exclaimed.  
>Just then, I was reading a letter, "Wow! I've always wanted to be an astronaut!" I said, joyfully. In each letter the Princess sent to us, it says that delays will not be tolerated. The next day, we the 7 ponies show up in perfect timing at the EASA (Equestrian Aeronautics and Space Administration) headquarters just 5 miles north-east of Ponyville. We put spacesuits on and get ready and get fully prepared for spaceflight training. Boy, it was really difficult to suit up, so the scientists help us to! "Are you all ready for the training?" the Director of Flight Operations asked. "I'm good to go." said Twilight. "Same here." Rainbow said. Fluttershy said unsurely, "I guess so.".<br>"Don't you worry, Fluttershy. Just don't screw anything up. Anyway, I'm ready!" I told Fluttershy and then the Director. "Yeppers!" said Rarity. Applejack said "I'm ready!". "I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm REAAADY!" said Pinkie. "Good luck, all of you." the Director said. And then we attend the practices. At the practices,  
>we were like we're on the moon during the Apollo space program. "I am really excited. Is anypony excited?" Twilight asked as she plants the flag of Equestria. "Yes I am excited, Twilight." I said as I examine the fake Mars specimen. "I'm totally EXCITED!" Pinkie exclaimed as she jumps and jumps joyfully. Everypony agrees, but Fluttershy because she's unsure what the big journey may take. "Fluttershy, what's wrong? You don't look excited." Applejack asked Fluttershy. Fluttershy answered with even mentioning what reason "Nothing wrong." Rarity said to her, "Why don't you just quit worrying, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy replyed "Um...Okay..." After 2 hours of training, the whole training is complete and it was an enormous success. Now we are ready to blast off to Mars before the Russians land first. The next day after the 1 and only whole training is our big and historic day we've ever lived. There were LOT of spectators from around Ponyville and elsewhere in all of Equestria. 1 hour before launch, we had a meeting at the conference room first. The CEO and his pony assistants sit on the right side and Twilight and everypony including Me sit on the left side of the huge table with a chilly jug of ice water with drinking glasses. The CEO addresses, "My fellow pony astronauts and pony board members. Today is your biggest day you have ever had in your entire lives since July 21 of nineteen-hundred and sixty-nine. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Rahky, I wish you all good luck and the whole of Equestria is counting on you." Then he said, "Any questions? I don't mind if you have." Twilight raised her hand up, and the CEO sees her, "Yes, Twilight? What's on your mind?" Then Twilight asked the question, "Were the Russians try to land on the moon way back to over 40 years ago?" "Yes, they tried but the 2 heroic men Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed first. Good question, ma'am." he said and he asked "Now any OTHER questions? Just don't be shy." I raised my hand up, and the CEO asked, "Yes, Rahky?" and I said, "I have a question; how long will this mission last?", he replyed "An hour and 10 minutes, I'd say. You all will have to activiate the hyper-jump. It's a quickest way to get a Mars." Applejack said "That's quick." Then Fluttershy raised her hand up. "Yes, Fluttershy? You seemed not excited. Why is that?" The CEO asked. Fluttershy said, calmly, "Well, you see. I'm just a little afraid that there might be some disaster or something. Sorry I said that." The CEO replyed, "It's alright, Fluttershy. There's no need to apologize. I know you're unsure about this journey, but the scientists double-checked everything on the Shuttle and there are no faulty problems. You know, almost a year after the first moon landing, during the Apollo 13 mission, the Serive Module had 2 oxygen tanks exploded and all 3 crew did whatever it took to survive the whole darkest disaster; they follow instructions carefully and they avoid pressing wrong buttons. Fortunately, no one died, thank goodness! Just be careful, as for all of you, and don't worry." he also said to all of us, "So do yourselves a favour and pay much attention you can and follow each step." "YESSIR!" Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and I agreed, on top of our lungs after getting up from our chairs, made everyone jump but the CEO. "Glad to hear that, ponies." the CEO said. Then he sees the clock, notifying that the Shuttle launch is in 10 minutes. "Well, once again. My fellow 'pony-nauts', I wish you luck. It seems running out of time." We all noticed, including the scientists, and zoomed out of the conference room like magic, but the CEO and his assistants still sitting. We suit up once again for our Mars journey and get ourselves ready for the Shuttle launch. The Space Shuttle is called the "Resolution" (built in 2002-03), after the long-gone Royal Navy ship which James Cook was on board and is currently used by Equestria and is not decomissioned yet but in the next 15 years or so. We got into the Shuttle in time before the launch. The scientists fastened our seatbelts and double-check everything in the Shuttle (the wiring, the lights, the landing gear, the liquid oxygen tanks, the cockpit, et cetera) in case of anything faulty that could lead to disaster but fortunatley nothing faulty. Everything is clear, and all systems go!<p>


	2. Chapter 2

The coundown begins, starting from 30 seconds by the time we were already in the Space Shuttle. "I am totally excited." I said. "I'm excited too, Rahky." Twilight said. "Trust me Fluttershy, you'll be okay." Rainbow told Fluttershy. "I'm not worried, Rainbow Dash. Really." she said. "Alright then." said Rainbow. Applejack said, "Oh boy...There goes number 0..." Rarity said, "Zero isn't a number, Applejack. Pinkie was very over excited as can be, and she shouted in excitement "YAY! WE'RE HEADIN' TO MARS, YAAAY!" I told Pinkie, "Whoa, Pinkie Pie. Settle down! You don't have to be THAT excited. Gee whiz..." "Sorry." Pinkie apologized. Twilight told us, "We're at 5 SECONDS!" and then we had become shocked. "Uh oh..." Rainbow thought.  
>The countdown had reached 0, and the Shuttle blasts off. Meanwhile, at the castle, Princess Celestia sees the Shuttle going up to outer space at the window. "Hopefully, you all will be back in a few hours." she prayed. The Space Shuttle was speeding awfully faster than a speeding bullet trains in Japan and it was jolting up and down like an airplane in the turbulance but not worse. "Oh my gosh, I think I'm gonna HURL!" Rarity shouted. "Disgusting!" I shouted. "YEE-HAW!" Applejack exclaimed. Finally, after a few minutes of high speed, the Shuttle coasts slowly. Me, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie didn't become sick (we just felt kinda weird in our heads, with headaches briefly), but only Rarity and Fluttershy, they just removed their helmets off and hurled into the barf bags. Yes, I know it's gross and disgusting. "Oh my gosh! I can't look at that..!" Rainbow shouted, noticing that Rarity had hurled. "Then don't pay attention to me and her!" Fluttershy told Rainbow, and she sprayed a cherry mint into her mouth, sharing with Rarity and they put their space helmets back on. "How do you feel, Twilight?" I asked Twilight. She replyed, "I'm just having a hugest headache I've ever got." "Same here." I said. Rainbow said, "I feel like my cell membrane has been melted and go crazy." Pinkie also said, "I don't feel kinda funny." I asked her "How come YOU didn't get sick, Pinkie Pie?" she answered, "Hmph. I dunno." Then we, but Pinkie shrug our shoulders cluelessly. The call came in on our Shuttle's radio, it's one of the scientists, however...It's Spike! We didn't know that he just become one of the board members of EASA. "EASA calling 'Resolution'. Come in, Resolution!" Spike called via radio. Then Twilight responded, "This is Resolution, over. Wait a second. Spike, is that you?" "Yes, it's me, Spike, your younger brother!" he said. "Why are you part of EASA?" she asked. "It's a long story. Call us 'Mission control', by the way" Spike said. "Anyway, to get to Mars fast, you will need to press the 'hyper-jump' button and you'll wait for 15 seconds." Twilight also said, "Roger that, Mission Control. I'm pressing it right about now." Then she pressed the "hyper-jump" button, and said, "Hang on tight, everypony! 'Tis gonna be a bumpy ride!" I said, "Oh, man, there goes nothing..." "Here we go again..!" Applejack said softly. "Hyper-jump? Oh, gosh no! I gotta eject! EJECT!" screamed Fluttershy. "Fluttershy,<br>there is no 'eject' button, so why don't you just calm down for a change, huh?" I said to Fluttershy. "Yeah, you heard him. We can't abort. If we do, game's over." Twilight said. Applejack said "You're such a worry-ward, you know that? Well, no offense, really." "...3, 2, 1 - hyper-jump." the computer spoke. The Space Shuttle "Resolution" begins to hyper-jump. ZOOM! 


	3. Chapter 3

The Shuttle "Resolution" zooms through the wormhole like a race car speeding through the long tunnel. We all screamed on top of our lungs (except for Pinkie) like we are on a roller coaster. "!" "Weeeeeee!" Pinkie exclaimed because she had enjoyed being "hyper-jumped". Eventually, after 30 seconds of hyper-jump, the wormhole spits the "Resolution" out and we were about to land on Mars. Fluttershy was still screaming by the time we stopped screaming. "Hey, stop screaming ya nincompoop!" Rarity yelled, shaking Fluttershy to drop her scream, and she stopped. "Sorry." she said. "Wowie! That was a bumpy ride! We could've been desintegrated into tiny pieces!" Rainbow said. "Yes, Rainbow Dash is right. I'm real glad we're still alive and we're still going to the red planet - Mars!" I said. Twilight said, "You've said it, Rahky, our man! Oh by the way, we're almost there!" I announced "Mission Control" that we were about some hundreds of feet away above the Mars soil, "'Mission Control' this is 'Resolution' and we are about to land on Mars, over." Spike (Mission Control) responded, "Copy that, 'Resolution'.  
>We're standing by 'till you've landed." Twilight said, "I better make sure these Russian pony cosmonauts didn't land first." I also said, "If they do, we get to meet them and offer congradulations!" "Da (yes). Well, this isn't a Cold War, anyway." she said.<br>Finally, we have landed on Mars, and it doesn't seem that nopony had landed yet but us. "Yes! We have landed!" Twilight shouted. We all celebrated. "YAY! THIS IS AWESOME! YAHOO!" Pinkie cheered. "Yeah, Equestria is a winner!" Rainbow celebrated.  
>Twilight announced EASA, "Mission Control, we have landed!" "Congradulations, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rahky! You all have made Equestria proud!" Spike (Mission Control) said in pride. Next, we unfasten our seatbelts, and we were about to exit the "Resolution". So before, Twilight said, "The pony who leads this mission, which is me, gets to take a step on mars first." "Ladies first!" I exclaimed, showing common courtesy. "Why, thanks a bunch, Mr. Rahky!" Twilight said.<br>"My pleasure." I said. Then she opens the door, and throws a portable and she exits the Shuttle first. Spike (Mission Control) also responds into her microphone headset as she climbs down the ladder, "Twilight, what's your status, over?" She responded, "Right now,  
>I'm about to take my first step on Mars soil." and she took her single step on Mars soil. "Roger that, Twilight. Excellent job. What's it like there?" he (Mission Control) said. After Twilight took her another step and stands by the ladder, she responded, "It's all orange,<br>it's peaceful than the world outside Equestria and the sun is roughly bright!" and she slides down her visor on her helmet. "Copy that. Good luck on your exploration. Over and out." Spike (Mission Control) responded back. Then, Twilight called us, "Alright, everypony, come on down here!" Then Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, including me climb down to the Mars soil. "Holy cow, it's so bright!" Fluttershy said. "Visors on, ponies!" Twilight shouted. Then we all slide down our visors to protect our eyes from the sunlight. "This is like I'm wearing sunglasses!" said Rainbow. "Actually, the visors on our helmets are really sunglasses!" I told Rainbow. Pinkie said, "Wow, look at this place! It's all wonderful!" Applejack said, "It's hotter than a desert." THen we start exploring Mars, picking up some Mars specimen, and Twilight planted a flag on Equestria. After that, she figured that she should have a group photo taken by the planted flag. Twilight called us on our microphone headsets, "Ponies come over here for a moment. I'm by the flag!"  
>Then we ran towards her by the flag to have a group photo taken. A couple of seconds, Twilight sets the tripod and the coundown camera. She pressed the button and rushed and stood still before our picture is ruined. "Smile, everypony! No ugly faces!" Twilight told us all. Then we posed by the flag and smiled for the camera. There was the flash, meaning the picture has already been taken. Meanwhile, we examine and picked up some Mars specimen and whatever we were doing. Oh yes, we just stick together so none of us will get lost. Fortunatley,<br>one of us didn't get lost, thank goodness. Then we take a little hike but not far. Suddenly, Fluttershy noticed something unfamiliar hiding behind a rock. Fluttershy said, "Wait a minute, gals and Rahky. I saw something." I said, "What did you see?" Applejack said, "Please tell us it's not an alien..!" The alien popped out with surprise and it said "Boo!". We all got surprised in shock, and the alien ran away. "AAAH!" I said, "Sweet mother of gosh! That was REALLY an alien!" Rarity also said, "That scared the hey outta me!" Rainbow said, "I won't forget what happened."  
>"By the way, I took the perfect picture of an alien with no flash!" Applejack said. "You did? Well, that's great, Applejack! Good for you!" Twilight said. Then we all looked at her picture on her iPhone. We didn't know that she brought along her own iPhone. "Aww, the alien looks cute..." Pinkie said.<br>I said, "You better put that on the Internet! I guess Mars is a home to the aliens that were involved in a Roswell UFO event back in '47." "Where's 'Roswell'?" Fluttershy questioned. "It's in New Mexico in America in the outside world, Fluttershy." Rainbow said. "You're right, Rainbow Dash." I said.  
>Then we figured that our mission is complete, we brought along our own Mars rocks and we return to the Shuttle "Resolution" and fasten our seatbelts. Pinkie said, "Good thing the Russians didn't land on Mars first." "That's right, Pinkie Pie! I guess they're disappointed with us." Rarity said.<br>Twilight said, "This is just a friendly competition, they won't be disappointed with us. Okay, anyway, are you ponies ready?" "READY!" Fluttershy, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie and I said. Then we lift off! "Mission Control, we're going back to Earth!" I responded to Mission Control.  
>"Roger that, 'Resolution'! Wonderful job, ponies!" Spike (Mission Control) responded back.<p>


	4. Chapter 4

Finally, after 15 minutes, leaving Mars and heading home, we've landed back on Earth! The crowd of cheerful spectators watch as our Shuttle "Resolution"  
>landed on the runway located near the EASA headquarters. We exited the Shuttle (first by Twilight Sparkle) and we wave, saying "thank you's" to the ponies.<br>"Yes, it's good to be back." I said. At last, Equestria had become a winner to land on Mars, and as a response, the Russian President offered Princess Celestia and us 'pony-nauts' congradulations via telephone and he also told her that he decided that his fellow pony cosmonauts could land on Pluto (some people say it's not a planet).  
>Thankfully, the Russians weren't disappointed about the response to our Mars landing. Well, the other "Space Race" is kinda like playing the game of soccer! Meanwhile,<br>Princess Celestia invited all of us (Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Rahky - that's me) to come over to her castle by limousine!  
>We hopped into the new expensive Rolls-Royce limousine, and ride along all the way. "Jeepers! This is a nice limo!" Applejack said. "Yes it is, Applejack!" I said. Twilight said,<br>"I can't wait to see the Princess' happy face!" "She sure will be happy with us!" Rainbow said. By the time we get to Princess Celestia's castle, we exited the limousine and the group of paparazzis take random pictures of us as we walk by. The camera flashes were a little bit distracting. We were like movie stars and I'm like an actor Leonardo DiCaprio from the movies "Titanic" and "Inception". As we walk to Princess Celestia, lot of ponies applause to us. The Mayor of Ponyville announced to the ponies, "Fillies and gentlecolts! Please give a warm welcome to our heroic pony astronauts - Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Rahky!" and the ponies applause, whistle and some shout "bravo"  
>and one pony said "Our #1 heroes!". Princess Celestia awarded us special medals one by one. "Congradulations, my faithful student. You've made me proud." she said to Twilight. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Twilight thanked the Princess. I was the last pony to be awarded a medal by Princess Celestia. "Congradulations, Mister Rahky." she said to me. "Thank you, Your Highness." I thanked the Princess. Meanwhile, the Russian pony cosmonauts had already landed on Pluto, and we offered them congradulations. We were relaxing in the Jacuzzi, drinking our favorite drinks at that time.<br>I was reading an article concerning the Pluto landing on a "Ponyville Times" (newspaper) website on my trusty iPhone. I said, "Well, looks like they've landed on Pluto." Twilight said, "Yep. They sure did."  
>Pinkie said, "I'm so glad we are world-famous!" Rainbow said, "The Russian cosmonauts are now world-famous too, Pinkie Pie." "Oh yes." she said. Fluttershy said, "I'm still glad we're back on Earth still alive and well.<br>Right, Angel?" Her bunny friend Angel shook her head in agreement. "I guess we're famous as the Apollo astronauts." Applejack said. "We sure are, Applejack." Rarity said. Twilight also said, "I love our friendship..."  
>"Sure you do." Spike said. Oh yes, by the way, we saved our own Mars rocks in our bedrooms.<p>So that's the end of the story. If you want to read it again, just start over and I won't be exhausted.<p>

THE END

Author's comment: I'm a space advocate.


End file.
